Why not a DQ or No Contest? ‘Big’ John McCarthy breaks down Chris Weidman's controversial win vs. Bruno Silva

John McCarthy has offered his thoughts on Chris Weidman vs. Bruno Silva.

McCarthy returned to the cage on Saturday night in Atlantic City. There, Weidman faced Brazilian striker Bruno Silva. Despite entering the bout as a heavy underdog, the 39-year-old wrestler fought incredibly well.

In the third and final round, Weidman knocked down Silva and earned the stoppage victory. However, there was instant controversy. In the finishing sequence, Weidman poked the Brazilian in the eyes, which happened several times previously in the fight.

Still, jhnWeidman emerged with a technical decision victory. After the bout was called off, it couldn't be restarted. As a result, referee Gary Copeland sent the bout to the scorecards, as it was already in the third round.

Many wondered why the bout wasn't just ruled a no-contest or even disqualification loss for Weidman. During an interview with MMAJunkie, longtime MMA referee McCarthy explained that the bout couldn't be ruled that way, due to when it ended.

However, Weidman could've been disqualified if the referee thought the eye pokes were intentional. Copeland believed they weren't, so they went to a technical decision. In the interview, McCarthy explained:

"Once you're in the third round, there is no no-contest. You've entered the third round of the fight, and under the rules, the first two rounds have been scored. You're going to have the judges score what took place in the third round."

McCarthy continued:

"Absolutely he could've disqualified him. That's a choice he had the ability to make but didn't feel it... He didn't feel Chris Weidman in any way meant to do that. So the DQ probably wasn't a question in his mind."

Check out his comments below:

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Could Chris Weidman's technical decision win be overturned?

While John McCarthy is right that Chris Weidman's win couldn't be changed into a no-contest on Saturday, it can now.

Following his loss on Saturday night, Bruno Silva announced his intention to appeal the defeat. Given the multiple fouls that he suffered, it's hard to not feel bad for the Brazilian.

While it's true that Weidman's bout couldn't be labeled a no-contest on fight night, that could change on appeal. The New Jersey State Athletic Commission reserves the right to overturn results post-fight.

Generally, an appeal in MMA doesn't go anywhere. However, New Jersey is a bit different and has been willing to overturn fights more than somewhere like Nevada.

That was seen in 2021 when Renan Ferreira's victory over former UFC champion Fabricio Werdum was overturned due to a missed tap. Granted, this situation is very different.